Check Out Books and Your Blood Pressure
LiveWell Johnson County and the Olathe Public Library at 201 E. Park St. teamed up to offer patrons a way to monitor their blood pressure. The large pharmacy-style machines, provided by Humana, are free and easy to use. Just put your arm in the cuff and follow the instructions on the touch screen. Pick up a paper tracking card to record your readings over time, or create a username and password on the machine and store the information digitally.
Why Check Your Blood Pressure
Monitoring blood pressure is easy and non-invasive. But don’t read that as not important. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is called “the silent killer” because it can cause damage to the body without symptoms. Hypertension that is not managed with medication or lifestyle change–yes, the same old healthy diet and physical activity routine–can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other serious health conditions. Think these things can’t happen to you? Think again. One in three deaths in the U.S. each year is caused by cardiovascular disease, which includes both heart attacks and strokes.
Learn More and Free Snacks
Need additional help making sense of your readings or learning how to lower your numbers? Come to a class at Olathe Public Library! Learn about heart health from a County outreach nurse and dietitian. The class also includes a free cooking demonstration and delicious snacks—what’s better?! Mark you calendar for February 21, 6-8:30 pm at the Downtown Olathe Public Library, 201 E. Park Street. Check out our calendar for additional learning opportunities!
Don’t live near Olathe? No worries! Additional monitoring stations are available in Overland Park at the Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th Street and in Mission, at Johnson County’s Northeast Office, 6000 Lamar.